


Further Orders

by sunspeared



Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Epistolary, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-21
Updated: 2017-03-21
Packaged: 2018-10-08 15:43:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,359
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10390167
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunspeared/pseuds/sunspeared
Summary: Ephemera: a selection of notes attached to official reports from Inquisition Lead Scout Lace Harding to Sister Leliana, Seneschal of the Second Inquisition, 9:41-9:43 Dragon.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Kit](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kit/gifts).



Nightingale--

(Charter told me to address my reports like this!)

I am sorry about my handwriting. Camp established just outside of old man Dennett's farm. The refugees are glad to see a friendly face, and matching uniforms. Ma wrote me a letter saying she made you a hat & sent it along to Haven. Harding sheep make the softest wool south of Redcliffe! She spins the yarn herself. Please don't be offended.

Lost two to apostates on the way to the farm. We thought the Herald cleaned them all out. I've enclosed their personal effects, for their families. Awaiting further orders.

Inquisition Scout Harding

*

Nightingale--

Well, all we really have to do is walk around after the Herald and clean up the mess. I met a Dalish keeper once, but she wasn't like this! Watching her and the Lady Seeker take on a bear (from a safe distance) is something else.

Met the detachment of scouts headed up to the Storm Coast; took Chief Engineer Bernardine off their hands, to get a start on those watchtowers for the old man Dennet. Thanks for sending along a sewing kit, too. Rector needs something to do with his hands. Not all of us can knit!

Sent Scout Pellane up to Redcliffe in advance of the Herald's arrival. He says it's tense: full of mages. No violence, so far. Just tense. Awaiting further orders.

Inquisition Scout Harding

*

Nightingale--

The Storm Coast doesn't stop raining, not for more than an hour at a time. The Herald's recruited the local mercenaries (?!) along with the Chargers, who should be on their way their way back to Haven with that Lieutenant Aclassi. See Rector's report for more detail. I'm sorry, but I couldn't get him to erase the part about the Iron Bull, but I did get him to take out a few stanzas. At least it rhymes? You could probably sing to it.

One lost in the caves to a giant spider bite, and two wounded. We can't get them back to Haven in this state, and one of them was my healer, so I've sent them to our base of ops in Highever for treatment. Throwing in an escort, that leaves me down five scouts in total. Fortunately, Knight-Captain Briony's headed up from the Hinterlands, and says she'll lend me a few people until Charter can send me reinforcements. Awfully nice of her! Expeditions halted until she arrives.

Inquisition Scout Harding

*

Nightingale--

Heard about Haven. Awaiting further orders.

Inquisition Lead Scout Harding

*

Nightingale--

Gaspard and Celene's soldiers leave us alone, but only because they've got bigger problems, and most of them are holed up as far away from their battlements as they can get. The smell, Sister. The dead are walking, there's demon's running around, and we haven't been able to ferret out who's been raising them. There's Venatori saboteurs in the area, but they don't seem to be operating from anywhere we can find. Knight-Captain Briony is out hunting them down. I think she's having fun.

Rector got too near the battlements. If Scout Pellane hadn't hauled him out of the fire, I don't know that he'd be alive now. He's not so bad off that I need to send him away, but I'm sending along a formal request for elfroot salve. No other casualties, so far. There's no safer place than behind a templar when there's bad magic around.

Also, the Inquisitor has found a promising, defensible spot to make camp, so I'm sending a formal request to have Chief Bernardine have a look at it. There's also a broken bridge she could have a quick look at. She's going to ask for a wagon full of ale. Please don't let her have it. When we were building the watchtowers, she got into two fights with old man Dennet's fieldhands, and another one with Rector. Turns out everyone's got really strong opinions about what happened at the River Dane, and it's very hard to break up fights when you come up to everyone's waist!

You wouldn't know. Charter says you're very tall, even for a human. I'm sending along a pair of warm socks for her, for the next packet to Caer Bronach.

Inquisition Lead Scout Harding

*

Nightingale--

I'm sure you've seen Briony's report on the Sahrnia Quarry by now. The Inquisitor is pressing on to Suledin Keep. Scout Pellane got in and out one night, says they're force-feeding the red stuff to giants. Also, we need Bernardine again! We've got another bridge. Bigger, this time. She's going to need extra ale to work this one out. Please, please don't send her the ale. I drank with her on the Plains, and I've never been so hungover.

Here's what we left out of the quarry report: once the Inquisitor took care of the main host of templars, it was up to me and a few other dwarves to head into the attached mine. Briony and I figured we'd have an easier time of it than she would. We didn't. The miners we found—it wasn't just villagers from Sahrnia. There were farmers from as far away as Montsimmard (I'm getting good at Orlesian accents, Bernardine's from Montsimmard, too), and even a few Antivans. From the looks of them, at least. They weren't doing a lot of talking, not in full sentences. There were even a few kids. One of the Antivans gave us a name: Ezzo? Enzo? Maybe it's a family name.

You have to understand, Sister. We weren't getting anything useful out of them. Their veins were growing with the red stuff, so they could barely move. Briony and I sent everybody else away, and we did the right thing. Six for me, seven for her.

We burned the bodies at dawn. Briony sang what was probably the whole Canticle of Trials over them. You know, the bit that goes, "And though I bear scars beyond counting, nothing can break me except your absence"? Of course you do. I think Briony might know the whole Chant. I joined in where I could.

Briony's taking a detachment of soldiers to cut down anything that comes out of Suledin Keep in one piece. I don't think much will. When the Inquisitor is through with them, there won't be anything left. I'm going with them. They can always use a good archer.

Sister, do you read these reports? Every message I get from you is in a different handwriting. I don't know what you look like. I've never even seen Skyhold. The only way I know I'm working for anyone at all is an elf with a big green hole in her hand who I see once every two months or so, and my uniforms, and the money I never have time to spend! And that bird that keeps trying to bite Rector's nose off, too.

Awaiting further orders.

Inquisition Lead Scout Harding

*

Inquisition Lead Scout Harding.

I read all of your reports.

You did the right thing. Where there was no hope, you gave it. Where there was to be no end to suffering, you offered one. Even Our Lady required a merciful blade on Her pyre.

I do not mean to be trite and pious. Nearly two years ago, you were a Redcliffe farmgirl Charter said had a bit of promise, pledging your bow and your mind to the Inquisition. What has been asked of you and Knight-Captain Briony in L'Emprise has been impossible, and hideous. Where Her Worship only need worry about the enemy or the rift in front of her, you must worry about the holding of the region, the making of friends with local nobles and chevaliers, the supply lines, the feeding and safety of your scouts. That I have not formally commended you for your exceptional work is a failing on my part, not on yours.

I have dispatched a team to take over the holding of L'Emprise. You and Knight-Captain Briony (and Rector, and Scout Pellane, and my very dearest Baron Plucky) are to return to Skyhold with the Inquisitor.

Come home. I will be honored to finally meet you. Please, address your reports to "Leliana."

Sister Leliana


End file.
